---
title: "Panic Buying Hits Several Chinese Cities: Supermarket Carts Run Short, One Shopper Buys 600 Jin of Rice"
description: "Recent days have seen panic buying of daily necessities in multiple Chinese cities including Chongqing, Zhengzhou, Changzhou, Qidong, and Bengbu, triggered by overreaction to a government notice and local COVID-19 cases. Local authorities and supermarkets confirm ample supplies and urge citizens to avoid hoarding."
author: "余渊 刘琴"
publisher: "New Distribution"
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published: "2021-11-06"
language: "en"
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---

# Panic Buying Hits Several Chinese Cities: Supermarket Carts Run Short, One Shopper Buys 600 Jin of Rice

> Recent days have seen panic buying of daily necessities in multiple Chinese cities including Chongqing, Zhengzhou, Changzhou, Qidong, and Bengbu, triggered by overreaction to a government notice and local COVID-19 cases. Local authorities and supermarkets confirm ample supplies and urge citizens to avoid hoarding.

Source: Jimu News; Authors: Yu Yuan, Liu Qin, Li Xiancheng, Zhang Wanjun

Queuing to shop and check out seems to have become the norm in major supermarkets in recent days.

Supermarket carts running short, a citizen buying 600 jin of rice at once, supermarkets replenishing supplies in time... Recently, reports have circulated online of panic buying in multiple places, including Chongqing, Zhengzhou in Henan, Changzhou and Qidong in Jiangsu, and Bengbu in Anhui. Queuing to shop and check out seems to have become the norm in major supermarkets in recent days.

On November 3, Jimu News reporters contacted supermarkets, citizens, and commerce departments in the above-mentioned places, who confirmed that there has indeed been varying degrees of panic buying in recent days, but no shortages or supply disruptions of daily necessities have been found.

Multiple local commerce bureaus called on the public through Jimu News: **Citizens need not be overly anxious or blindly stockpile, which would cause unnecessary waste.**

On the 2nd, Zhu Xiaoliang, Director of the Consumer Promotion Department of the Ministry of Commerce, stated that from the current situation, there are ample supplies of daily necessities in all regions, and supply should be fully guaranteed.

**Changzhou: Supermarket carts insufficient despite hundreds available**

A photo posted by a netizen showed a large supermarket in Tianning District, Changzhou, Jiangsu, packed with citizens stocking up on daily necessities. One shopper's cart was piled high with noodles, vegetables, and cooking oil. Another image showed a long line of customers waiting to check out.

At around 11 a.m. on November 3, a staff member of a large supermarket in Tianning District told Jimu News that a large number of citizens rushed into the supermarket early in the morning to stock up on daily necessities. At peak times, the wait to check out was nearly 2 hours. The most purchased items were mainly rice, flour, and oil. These three categories were quickly replenished, and other daily necessities were in ample supply.

**Currently, they have also stopped online orders because since early on the 3rd, citizens have been placing orders online continuously, and online orders are already scheduled for the 4th.**

A staff member of another large supermarket in Tianning District said that as of now, supplies in the supermarket are sufficient. Their staff have been busy from morning until now, and may not even have time for lunch. "The situation at noon is slightly better than in the morning, with queues under an hour."

A staff member of a large supermarket in Zhonglou District, Changzhou, told Jimu News that the supermarket was "packed," and even several hundred carts were not enough. "I suggest citizens not come to the supermarket today. Our supply is sufficient; there is no need to concentrate shopping on one day."

**Why are large numbers of citizens rushing to buy daily necessities?**

A staff member of the Market Operation and Consumption Promotion Division of the Changzhou Commerce Bureau told Jimu News that there are mainly two reasons for the above situation: **First, it may be due to external overinterpretation of the Ministry of Commerce's notice on ensuring the supply and stable prices of vegetables and other daily necessities for winter and spring; second, an important factor is that Changzhou reported 3 new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases.**

Currently, they have conducted a preliminary investigation into the supply of daily necessities in the city, and supply at major supermarkets and markets is basically normal. Staff call on citizens to shop rationally and not be overly anxious.

**Qidong: Someone buys 600 jin of rice at once**

In Qidong, Jiangsu, many citizens also reported panic buying, with long queues at checkout counters in many supermarkets and stores.

A staff member of a large supermarket in Qidong told Jimu News that since the afternoon of the 2nd, customers have been coming to stock up on rice, flour, and other goods. "Currently, there is not much rice and flour left on the shelves, and online orders are also very active, so the supermarket cannot replenish in time."

Video screenshot

The staff member said that not only their supermarket but also other supermarkets of all sizes across Qidong have seen very high sales of daily necessities. When she went out in the morning on the 3rd, she saw that the rice in the small shop at her community gate was almost sold out.

Video screenshot

She also told reporters that most of these customers came to the supermarket after hearing some news online. When asked if she had also stocked up on some goods, she said she believed the country could fully guarantee food supply and did not follow the trend to hoard.

On the afternoon of the 3rd, a staff member of the Qidong Commerce Bureau told Jimu News that in the past two days, there has indeed been irrational hoarding by some citizens, with a few individuals even buying 600 jin of rice at once.

"This morning, staff from our bureau went to check the warehouses of various supermarkets across the city. Overall, there are sufficient supplies of rice, flour, and oil. However, due to irrational consumption by some people, there have been short-term shortages of rice and oil in some districts and towns."

The above staff member said they are currently drafting a relevant announcement, hoping that citizens will not blindly hoard and cause unnecessary waste.

**Bengbu: Customer flow like during promotions**

A staff member of a large supermarket chain in Bengbu, Anhui, told Jimu News that as soon as the supermarket opened on the morning of the 3rd, many customers came to shop, and the customer flow was much higher than usual, similar to during promotional activities.

"Most of the people coming to shop are middle-aged and elderly, and the items they buy are mostly daily necessities such as rice, flour, and oil. I heard them say they came after seeing online messages about stocking up," the staff member said.

A staff member of a RT-Mart store in Bengbu said that the customer flow on the morning of the 3rd was not much different from usual, and there was no crazy panic buying. However, based on her observations over the past two days, the items in customers' carts were mostly daily necessities like rice and flour, and sales of these essential items have increased in the past two days.

A photo from a supermarket in Bengbu, Anhui, showing rice almost sold out on shelves, source: Weibo

A staff member of the Bengbu Commerce and Foreign Affairs Bureau said they have not received feedback about panic buying of daily necessities. Currently, the supply of rice, flour, and other materials is sufficient across the city. Some citizens may be affected by false information online and engage in blind hoarding.

A netizen from Bengbu, Anhui, reported panic buying at some supermarkets

**Chongqing: Rice, flour, and oil sold out; supermarkets replenish in time**

Chongqing citizen "Lili" had not seen such a scene for a long time: rice on shelves was snapped up, and supermarkets were crowded with shoppers.

A staff member of a large supermarket in Shapingba District, Chongqing, told Jimu News that since the afternoon of November 2, there has been a panic buying wave, with rice, grain and oil, pork, and flour being particularly in demand, and some items temporarily out of stock. The staff member said the panic buying was mainly triggered by some people over-worrying about material shortages after learning of the relevant notice from the Ministry of Commerce, and it was not closely related to the epidemic.

Video screenshot

A staff member of a large supermarket on Zourong Road in Yuzhong District said that since the afternoon of the 2nd, there has been a panic buying wave. Now, rice is basically sold out, flour is almost gone, pork is still available, and cooking oil supply is sufficient. The staff member said there is no problem with supply, and sold-out items will be replenished quickly.

A staff member of the Chongqing Municipal Commerce Commission told Jimu News that recently, due to the rebound of the epidemic, there have been some cases of concentrated purchases of daily necessities. In response, supermarkets such as Yonghui and Chongbai New Century have taken timely replenishment measures to ensure market supply is not interrupted or out of stock, and to ensure market supply is guaranteed.

**Zhengzhou: Supermarket customer flow much larger than usual**

In Zhengzhou, Henan, there has also been a surge in the number of consumers buying rice, flour, and oil.

On social media, a netizen from Zhengzhou shared a screenshot of her online shopping cart, showing that she bought mostly food, including rice wine, two 10-kg bags of rice, and four bottles of cooking oil.

Provided by Mr. Jia

Jimu News reporters contacted staff of two large supermarkets in Zhengzhou. A staff member of a large supermarket on Daxue Road in Erqi District told reporters that she noticed the phenomenon since the afternoon of the 2nd, with many citizens rushing to buy rice, flour, oil, and other goods. "The customer flow is much larger than usual."

A staff member of a large supermarket on Changjiang Road in Erqi District said that on the morning of the 3rd, she found a sharp increase in consumers buying rice and oil. "Almost everyone buys rice and oil, and some people buy two bottles of oil at once, but large-scale bulk buying has not yet occurred."

On the afternoon of the 3rd, Jimu News repeatedly called the Erqi District Commerce Bureau, Zhengzhou Commerce Bureau, and Zhengzhou Municipal People's Government, but no one answered.

A blogger named Mr. Jia, who analyzes the grain and oil industry, told Jimu News that he did notice many citizens buying grain and oil at supermarkets. As an upstream supplier, he learned from various channels that the supply of grain and oil is sufficient, and prices are stable. **Although grain and oil, as standard products, can be stored for a long time, he still called on everyone not to blindly hoard.**

**Don't fall for panic buying again.**

**Jimu News Commentator: Qu Jing**

Irrational panic buying has occurred in many cities during the epidemic. At the most critical times, there were scenes of hoarding rice, oil, vegetables, fruits, and stockpiling medicines and masks. In some places, there were also chaotic price gouging. After timely adjustments, citizens gradually returned to rationality. Why are people so panicked this time?

First, the Ministry of Commerce's notice encouraging families to store daily necessities made many people overthink and read too much into it. Even though the Ministry responded and explained, the public has its own logic: better safe than sorry.

Coupled with the new round of domestic epidemic, everyone thinks they should stock up just in case. People share the same feelings. Anxiety is contagious to some extent. When the "herd effect" kicks in, long queues form and panic buying ensues.

Chinese people often believe that having grain at home calms the mind. So, at the slightest sign of trouble, it is natural and simple to stock up on food and daily necessities first.

But is this hoarding for a sense of security actually safe? The answer is no.

Blindly following the trend to hoard can easily lead to market disorder. People fear shortages, so they frantically buy and hoard, causing temporary shortages. Seeing shortages, they become even more panicked, so supermarkets have to replenish, and the whole market is tense. When the wave passes, the goods people hoarded may expire and be wasted; the goods supermarkets stocked may also expire and be wasted. It is truly a mutual torment...

At the same time, the epidemic prevention and control situation remains complex and severe. Rushing out to queue and jostling each other actually leads to crowd gathering, increasing the risk of epidemic transmission. Is that scientific?

Therefore, while all localities are intensifying efforts to prevent imported cases and domestic resurgence, they should also increase the disclosure of epidemic information and prevention measures, explain the rationale, stabilize supply, and promptly report developments, so that people can hear and see, not panic, proceed steadily, and have time to prepare, thereby dispelling panic caused by information asymmetry.

Major supermarkets facing panic buying should maintain on-site order, not relax necessary epidemic prevention measures, and can also arrange appropriate psychological counseling to create an orderly and normal atmosphere. The hustle and bustle of daily life is what truly comforts people.

Appropriate reserves are prudent, but excessive panic and collective hoarding are not only inappropriate but also harbor hidden dangers. We must not fall for this again.

**Are you "watching" me?**


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